Irrigation systems are commonly used to compensate for inadequate rainfall by artificially watering turf or other landscape. In their most basic form, irrigation systems comprise water supply lines that direct water to a group of sprinklers. Each sprinkler is placed at varying positions around the landscape, preferably maximizing the area on which water is disbursed.
Control of each sprinkler is typically left to valves coupled to the water supply lines, preventing or allowing water to flow to each of the sprinkler heads. In some residential and commercial irrigation systems, electrically controlled solenoid valves are operatively connected to an irrigation controller or central computer. These irrigation controllers include a microprocessor with an input interface (such as a dial and buttons) where a user can program a desired watering schedule. When the watering schedule calls for irrigation of at least a portion of the landscape, the irrigation controller causes one or more solenoid valves to open so that water flows to their respective sprinklers. When the schedule calls for an end to the irrigation, the irrigation controller causes the solenoid valves to close, stopping the water flow to the sprinklers.
Early irrigation controllers included a fixed number of terminals in which to connect the irrigation system's solenoid valves, as seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,859, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. While functional, these early irrigation controllers lacked the flexibility to connect and control additional valves. Unfortunately, if a user wished to expand their irrigation system, it required either a new irrigation controller with a greater number of valve terminals or the use of multiple irrigation controllers or a second smaller station count controller.
In an effort to increase the flexibility of irrigation controllers, the modular irrigation controller was invented to easily increase the number of sprinklers that can be added to an irrigation system, as seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,956,248; 6,459,959; 6,772,050, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. In a modular irrigation controller, multiple valve leads or irrigation station leads are connected to small modules that removably connect to the controller. Additional station output modules can later be added or removed from the controller as needed.
Prior art modular controllers, however, have numerous drawbacks. For example, older prior art modular controllers typically include modules with a set number of irrigation station terminals. Newer prior art modular controllers increase the number of terminals, but require additional footprint space (e.g., a 4 terminal module may be replaced with a 9 terminal module but requires two module slots.
These prior art modular controllers typically require the modules to be inserted into the controller slots in a specific position order. Further, present day controllers typically do not retain programming information for a module slot after the module is removed.
Some controllers have addressed the issue of a fixed number of terminals within a single controller footprint through the use of modules that include additional terminals and a sensor terminal bank, as seen in patent application Ser. No. 13/073,749, and incorporated herein by reference. However, many conventional irrigation controllers do not have modular slots or a dedicated sensor port. These controllers do not have the capability to switch the fixed station terminals from a conventional 24V AC driven station to an AC or DC driven decoder system. Certain sensors conform to a decoder protocol and are thus not compatible with the conventional 24V AC driven stations. Thus, there exists a need for a controller with the ability to switch the terminals from conventional outputs to decoder outputs to incorporate sensor data for irrigation schedule modification. Additionally, modular controllers are expensive, so providing an economical method of converting fixed stations to decoder driven stations would provide users with a practical alternative while enhancing system flexibility.
Conventional irrigation controllers have not been designed for multiple users with varying levels of controller programming expertise. Thus, to accommodate the advanced users, conventional controllers typically have a complicated menu system to encompass all features of a system, even if a majority of the features would not be utilized by a typical owner operator. There exists a need for a controller that provides a straightforward user interface for the basic user (for example, a typical homeowner) while also providing the advanced user (such as a contractor) with all the features of the controller system.
Additionally, existing controller schedules may not intuitively provide the user with a proper understanding of the time and duration that their irrigation system will be active. Simply listing the program's start and stop times can be improved by providing the schedule in a graphical format based on the day or week. Further, providing information such as past usage provides users with valuable information for modifying an upcoming schedule.
Users may also encounter difficulties in correcting a system problem because the instruction manual, like the typical controller menu system, may be complicated. In instances where an irrigation system requires immediate correction, owner-operators would benefit significantly from the ability to communicate directly with a contractor or customer service representative (CSR). There may be several ways to communicate the problem with the scheduling program. For example, an irrigation controller with an integrated voice line would allow a customer representative to walk the user through the trouble shooting process. Alternatively, a controller with an integrated data upload feature would allow the user to relay program data directly to a CSR to review the program, modify it accordingly, and download any changes directly to the controller. A controller with the ability to communicate to a CSR would ensure that any irrigation system problems were promptly resolved.
Many prior art controllers do not store data relating to scheduling information, sensor readings, or communication events with customer service. Further, the controllers that do store information on a removable device are typically stored within the module itself. While the module may be used in another controller, review of the stored data is limited to being present at a controller. What is needed is a controller that stores data on a common external memory device such as a USB storage device, SD card, micro SD card, or network server to allow an owner-operator to review triggering events and make any necessary modifications to the schedule or program. Data collected would also allow an owner-operator to save irrigation schedules for later use and trouble shoot any controller issues, from a remote location.
What is needed is a modular controller that overcomes the limitations of the prior art. More particularly, a modular controller is needed that can utilize modules with various numbers of irrigation terminals, yet maintain a single slot footprint. A modular controller is also needed that can expand the number of terminals and add sensor or smart adapter capability, save module programming, and decrease the cost associated with producing both an outdoor and indoor model. Further, a modular controller is needed that allows fixed station terminals to be converted to a decoder driven system, allows for real time direct customer service communication via voice or data protocol, and allows sensor and system information to be stored on a readily available removable storage device. In addition, a modular controller is needed that provides a user interface designed for multiple users that is capable of displaying a daily or weekly watering schedule in a graphical format to modify and review past and future irrigation schedules.